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The archive: all reports in 2005 at a glance.

Press Releases 2005

12 | 2005 -

adidas extends cooperation with DPD by two years

DPD delivers tournament footballs across Europe

Aschaffenburg, 14 December 2005 – adidas has extended its cooperation with DPD by a further two years, taking it up to 31 December 2007. Under this contract, DPD will deliver approximately 1.5 million adidas parcels per year from Germany to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Germany. The contract also covers a tailor-made return management system and forwarding bulk goods in Poland.

Charles Prussky, Head of Warehousing & Distribution at adidas, says that DPD was chosen because of its international expertise and the positive long-standing working relationship between the two parties. “We are looking at a major logistic challenge during this exciting football year. Therefore we need a partner we can fully rely on. DPD have repeatedly demonstrated their high standards and flexibility by recording punctual delivery rates of over 95 percent, both domestically as well as internationally."

Last weekend, DPD delivered 17,500 parcels with the new adidas “Teamgeist” ball to sports retailers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux. During the already busy Christmas season, more than 1,500 German DPD employees pulled together for a special night shift last weekend to make sure the balls were ready to go. On Saturday, DPD delivered more than 14,500 parcels to 1,700 sporting good retailers in Germany and in the Benelux, Switzerland and Austria with a punctual delivery rate of 99.7 percent.

Hans Fluri, CEO of DPD and member of the general management of GeoPost with responsibility for GeoPost’s operations in Germany, Switzerland and the Benelux, says about the extension of the cooperation with adidas-Salomon: “We always work hard to be a reliable and flexible partner to our customers. We are very pleased that adidas has rewarded us with a two year extension of the partnership. We will keep combining our local competence with our international network capabilities to offer the highest quality service to adidas.”

The management of DPD GmbH & Co. KG is to be slimmed down from five members to two

With immediate effect the two-man Fluri/Schroven management team is to take charge of the franchisor

Paul-Marie Chavanne to become Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Aschaffenburg, 16 November 2005 – In future DPD GmbH & Co. KG will be led by a two-man management team: Hans Fluri (53) and Arnold Schroven (50), the existing chairman of the supervisory board, will take charge of the company as joint CEOs with equal responsibilities. This means that the franchisor, as a leading provider of parcel services in the European B2B sector, is reducing its management team from five members to two in order to reinforce its direct reporting processes. Paul- Marie Chavanne, Chairman of DPD’s majority shareholder GeoPost SA., will become chairman of the supervisory board. All five previous management team members have taken major responsibilities within the GeoPost international structure – this shows the internationality of GeoPost.

The new structure has now been unanimously approved by the supervisory board of DPD GmbH & Co. KG at its recent meeting. The two-man team of Fluri/Schroven is regarded by the supervisory board and the parent company GeoPost SA as a dream team, because the two managers complement each other perfectly. While Arnold Schroven knows the company down to the last detail as a result of his 13 years with DPD, Hans Fluri brings in his management experience with top international companies such as Kraft Foods and Philip Morris. In February 2005 he was appointed CEO of DPD GeoPost Deutschland, a post in which he is to continue. He was recently appointed a member of the five-person international board of the GeoPost SA group.

The previous management team will assume the following responsibilities:

Armin Bohnhoff: new director of operations at the franchisee DPD GeoPost Deutschland, with responsibility for the coordination of all processes and projects. Dr. Bohnhoff will report directly to Hans Fluri.

Peter Burmeister: the new CFO of DPD GeoPost Deutschland, will also report directly to CEO Hans Fluri.

Rainer Braun: new director of international operations, reporting directly to Wolfgang Lehmacher.

Marek Zulawski: responsible for the international network within DPD GmbH, reporting directly to Arnold Schroven.

Joint CEOs, shorter reporting distances and a slimmed-down organisational structure – with these changes DPD regards itself as ideally positioned to implement its ambitious plans: “We want to place the focus even more strongly on customer service locally, and at the same time push ahead with the development of our worldwide network in order to extend our position as an international specialist provider of CEP services“, stresses new Supervisory Board Chairman Chavanne.

11 | 2005 -

A question of confidence: adidas-Salomon AG extends contract with DPD by a further two years

New cooperation begins with successful major project / DPD operates an extra shift to supply sports equipment retailers with the German national team’s new strip and the “Predator" World Cup boot

Aschaffenburg, 15 November 2005 – adidas-Salomon AG has extended its cooperation with DPD by a further two years, taking it up to 31 December 2007. A contract to this effect has now been signed, specifying that DPD will deliver approx. 1.5 million adidas parcels on an exclusive basis from Germany to eight central-European countries (“Area Central"). At the weekend the new cooperation kicked off successfully with the delivery of 25,000 parcels with the German Football Association’s official 2006 strip and the ”Predator" World Cup boot to sports equipment retailers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The level of punctual delivery was over 99 %, with almost all parcels reaching the consignee right on time. Charles Prussky, Head of Warehousing & Distribution at adidas Salomon, believes that the smooth execution of this operation confirms that his decision in favour of DPD was the right one: “An excellent team performance, which will form the basis for our further projects together".

According to Mr Prussky the decision in favour of DPD was taken because of the parcel service provider’s international expertise and the positive experience provided by the long-standing cooperation between the partners: “In view of the impending major logistical challenge provided by the 2006 football World Cup we need a partner on whom we can rely one hundred per cent. To achieve a punctual delivery rate of over 99 % against this background, and internationally, too, demonstrates DPD’ high performance standards and flexibility."

The successful special shift for the delivery of the World Cup strips and boots is all the more remarkable in that it took place on a day when DPD also had to deal with its biggest inbound volume of the year, at no less than 1.539 million parcels.

The new contract applies to “Area Central" – covering the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Germany. In addition to approx. 1.5 million parcels it also covers the forwarding of bulk goods in Poland and a returns management system for all the countries which are involved and developed specially to adidas specifications.

In the coming weeks DPD will be faced with further major challenges in relation to the World Cup, in particular the delivery of the official football to retailers.

Aschaffenburg, 8 November 2005 – As an international provider of parcel and express services DPD is now offering its DPD GUARANTEE product in Poland, Denmark, Austria and Finland (here initially import only). This means that international parcel transport with guaranteed delivery times is now available in a total of eleven countries. DPD GUARANTEE, which was launched as a cross-border service at the beginning of this year, enables customers to check on the status of their shipments at all times. The product also offers a money-back guarantee.

Germany's top parcel service provider for business customers developed DPD GUARANTEE because research had shown that companies were looking for a service which featured the speed and reliability of guaranteed parcel delivery, but without having to make use of an expensive express network. ”Since the beginning of the year DPD has succeeded with DPD GUARANTEE in fully responding to new customer requirements“, says Hans Fluri, CEO of DPD Geopost Deutschland.

This form of guaranteed delivery was rolled out at the start of the year in Germany, Switzerland and the Benelux countries, followed in the summer of 2005 by the Czech Republic and Slovakia. More countries will be added in the coming months, until customers will be able to take advantage of DPD GUARANTEE in nearly all parts of Europe.

Guaranteed delivery times vary in accordance with the route. For example, a DPD GUARANTEE parcel takes one day to get from the Netherlands to Germany, and two days from Luxembourg to Poland.

10 | 2005 -

DPD promotes the “junior sportsmen and women of the year“

Hamburg/Aschaffenburg, 21 October 2005: In the presence of Hans Fluri, CEO DPD GeoPost Deutschland, awards have now been presented to the "junior sportsmen and women of the year" in Hamburg. DPD, the market leader among parcel service providers in Germany’s B2B business, is acting for the second year in succession as sponsor for these awards, which are organised by Germany’s Sports Aid (DSH) trust. Mr Fluri explains DPD’s commitment to this cause by saying "These young athletes represent virtues which can benefit our country as a whole - dynamism, will power and team spirit". Every year the DSH organisation presents awards to especially talented sportsmen and women from the younger generation and promotes their careers with grants which have, since 2004, been partly financed by DPD.

The individual sports competition was won by Maximilian Levy, five-fold junior world champion in track cycling, ahead of Benjamin Kleibrink, junior world and European champion 2005 in foil fencing and Lena Schöneborn, junior world champion in the modern pentathlon. In the team competition the sword fencing junior world champions just made it ahead of the under-19 football world champions and the junior world champions in the sprint track racing team. The young sportsmen and women received their awards at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. The occasion for the presentation was a celebration organised by DSH.

"Those who achieve great things and work hard every day to reach their targets should be rewarded and supported - in sport just as much as in business", remarked Mr Fluri in his address. "Just like these young top-class sportsmen and women, DPD would never have become what it is today without the readiness to work hard, take risks and compete on the market."

Today’s achievers promote the achievers of tomorrow - this is the principle which DPD also applies to its own promotion of young people. In the year 2005/2006 the company is training approximately 140 of the new generation entering the CEP (courier, express and parcel services) industry. For years now sports sponsorship at a regional level has been a regular component of the company’s corporate philosophy, with the kinds of sport promoted ranging from handball and football to tennis.

The DSH nominations are based primarily on medals won at junior world and European championships, as well as outstanding successes at the Olympics or international record-breaking performances. From all the nominations a jury under the chairmanship of the president of the German sport federation selects the "junior sportsman or woman of the year" in the categories of individual and team sports. In addition special awards are made to disabled athletes and athletes with a hearing disability.

The overall success of past "junior sportsmen and women of the year" proves the high quality of the competition, and of the athletes who have been distinguished by the programme: the 27 winners who have won awards in the individual "junior sportsman and woman of the year" contest since 1978 have won a total of 246 medals at the Olympic Games or at World and European championships, including 122 gold medals.

10 | 2005 -

DPD GeoPost Deutschland CEO Fluri joins the GeoPost Group board

DPD leads Germany’s B2B parcel market and is well equipped to face the future

The focus is always on the customer

GeoPost is Europe’s third-largest CEP operator

Paris/Aschaffenburg, 17 October 2005 – Hans Fluri has been appointed a member of the international five-person board of management of the GeoPost SA group. Since February of this year Hans Fluri has been CEO of DPD GeoPost Deutschland, and his new responsibilities on the management board will additionally include the countries of Switzerland and Benelux. He has extensive experience in top management with major international companies such as Philip Morris and Kraft Foods, and has the reputation of being a farsighted pragmatist. “The success of DPD GeoPost on the German market is based on closeness to the customer and flexibility“, stresses Fluri. “These features are an integral part of DPD’s decentralised structure, and we intend to maintain and strengthen them to further strengthen our market position.“

The focus is on the customer

Knowing exactly what local customers want and providing them with an optimum service remains DPD’ primary objective on all its markets. This philosophy has made DPD the market leader in Germany’s B2B business and accordingly one of the most successful companies not just in its home country but in Europe as a whole. Today the company’s operations are managed by experienced and committed CEOs in more than 30 countries, backed up by a workforce of around 22,000 competent and highly motivated employees. “Our focus is on the customer – this remains the constant factor in all our activities“, confirms Arnold Schroven, chairman of the supervisory board at DPD GmbH. “Both today and in the future the basis of our business success can best be expressed by the words ´Service for the customer! Simple, speedy and secure`.“

Paul-Marie Chavanne, the CEO of GeoPost SA, Paris, is forging ahead with the expansion of the group’s worldwide network. Mr Chavanne confirms: “As Europe’s third-largest CEP operator GeoPost will continue to develop its international product portfolio in order to enhance even further the innovative and tailor-made services it can offer its customers.“

Strength through innovation

The ability to respond flexibly to requirements has been a major feature in the success story of DPD, which has accumulated 30 years’ experience in a constantly changing environment. As a result it today ships more than 1.4 million parcels a day in the service of over 200,000 satisfied business customers. Says Hans Fluri: “The key to this success is to be found in our workforce, which ensures with reliability and dedication day after day that DPD meets the quality promise it makes to customers.“

About GeoPost

GeoPost is one of the leading players on the international parcel and express market. Its operational network covers over 30 countries and includes major brand names such as DPD, Chronopost and Parceline. GeoPost occupies third place on the European CEP market and in 2004 it registered turnover figures of 2.4 billion euros. GeoPost is a wholly-owned subsidiary of France’s La Poste. GeoPost holds 83.32 % of the shares in DPD through its subsidiary DPD GeoPost Deutschland.

About DPD

With the shipment of over 1.4 million parcels per day in a seamless Europe-wide network, DPD Deutsche Paket Dienst GmbH & Co. KG is one of Europe’s leading providers of CEP services. The worldwide franchisor DPD GmbH & Co. KG, which has its headquarters in Aschaffenburg, offers a wide spectrum of domestic and international services. These range from standard, guarantee and express parcels via supplementary services such as C.O.D. to individual, customised solutions. Over 470 depots in 32 European countries with more than 22,000 employees and 13,500 vehicles operate in the service of DPD’s 200,000 business customers.

Press Contact:

Cécile Y. Schreyer

Corporate Communication

GeoPost International

Management & Development Holding GmbH

Wailandtstraße 1

D-63741 Aschaffenburg

Tel. +49 6021 492 7074

Mobile +49 172 6654279

New organisation at GeoPost

In a constantly-changing competitive environment, GeoPost – third European operator in parcels and express deliveries with € 2.4 billion euros turnover - is confirming its ambition to grow in France and worldwide by means of a management team grouped around its CEO Paul-Marie Chavanne.

The organisation is focused on two objectives:

Empowerment of the subsidiaries' management teams, responsible for performance in each European country;

Collegiality of the project teams responsible for drawing up and implementing the corporate action plans.

This general management team now comprises:

Thomas Lot, Executive Vice President, CEO of Chronopost;

Hans Fluri, Executive Vice President, CEO of GeoPost Germany and in charge of Benelux and Switzerland;

GeoPost SA, main shareholder of franchisor DPD GmbH, will be proposing on November 16th the appointment of Hans Fluri and Arnold Schroven as Managing Directors of the DPD GmbH & Co. KG at the Supervisory Board.

14.10.05

Press contact:

Marion Egal

Tel. 0033 - 68 572 16 74

07 | 2005 -

DPD GeoPost Deutschland invests in its Hagen location

Hagen, 18 July 2005 – Three million euros is the amount which DPD GeoPost (Deutschland) GmbH & Co. KG is investing in new sorting equipment for its Hagen depot this year. Jörg Lüdtke, CEO of DPD’s Central West region says: “Of course with the opening of new EU markets Europe has not passed us by. It is the industry located in this region which is above all benefiting from these growth markets. As a result we have, in the past two years alone, registered average growth of 15 % a year. DPD has recognised this potential and is making the appropriate response. The amount to be invested represents preparation for the future challenges and opportunities which are presented by cross-border shipment.“

The new state-of-the-art conveyor equipment supplied by the manufacturers Budde will, in future, double the depot’s sorting capacity from its current 4,000 parcels an hour to 8,000 parcels an hour. At the same time the conversion will double loading capacity, with the number of loading gates rising from 26 to 52.

Depot manager Rüdiger Oberste-Berghaus says: “At our Hagen depot 50,000 parcels are currently processed and delivered to consignees every day, or picked up from consignors and then shipped all round the world. The improved capacity provided by this expansion work, the doubling of our gate numbers and the resulting increase in direct depot-to-depot shipments will enable us in future to achieve a considerable increase in performance and quality. Our customers will benefit directly from the substantially improved service provided by shorter transport distances and the considerable reduction in delivery times. In the long term this competitive advantage will provide us with satisfied customers and secure the basis of our business. This makes this project an important investment in the long-term securing of jobs in our region.“

Safeguarding and expanding the employment base is also a clear priority for regional CEO Jörg Lüdtke. “Other companies are relocating or reducing the size of their operations in the region, but for us Hagen with its favourable infrastructure and excellent transport links will remain a top location for our logistics activities, both now and in the future.“

At present the Hagen location employs a workforce of about 150 in the administrative and parcel handling sections. These are backed up by the system partners with their 75 delivery drivers. Mr Lüdtke adds: “And one thing is clear: in view of the continued increase in parcel volumes we will have to expand not just our technical facilities but also, in the medium term, the size of the workforce, so that we can meet rising customer requirements. For us there is every reason to look to the future with optimism: it’s all systems go!“

07 | 2005 -

Artistic rendezvous at DPD

Guests and artists use opening ceremony to discuss their own points of view and perspectives

Aschaffenburg, 7 July 2005 – On Thursday July 7 more than 400 visitors assembled at DPD’s head office in Aschaffenburg to celebrate the opening of the company’s latest DPD Art exhibition. The guests had the opportunity to put questions to the artists about their work and, very much in line with ”Points of view and perspectives”, the title of the exhibition, the artists were joined by representatives of DPD who explained the company’s commitment to art. ”We regard ourselves as a part of the region, and want to make our contribution to its cultural life“, said Supervisory Board Chairman Arnold Schroven in his welcoming address. The paintings and sculptures stimulated considerable discussion among the company’s business associates and customers who had been invited, together with DPD staff and their guests and of course representatives of the media in the region, with snacks and live music accompanying the lively exchange of ideas and opinions.

Artists working in different styles enjoy a shared platform

The spectrum of the individual works on show is a wide one and provides a wealth of material for discussion. This is exactly how Jean-Pierre Kresser, General Manager Corporate Communications, intends it to be. As he stressed in his own speech: “Diversity and open dialogue are just as deeply rooted in DPD’s corporate culture.“

Project Manager Sonja Eizenhöfer took pleasure in the coming together of such contrasts: “In a single, shared exhibition we have succeeded in expressing the points of view and perspectives of artists of the most varied inspiration.“ Ralf Edelmann’s paintings and sculptures made of wood are youthful, irreverent and provocative – their impact often underlined by striking slogans. The landscapes by the artist AMEI which are on show have a partially narrative content, while Wera Schröner reveals her interest in architectural views and the interplay of colours and form. Jan Zwollicki captures people and everyday situations in an expressive manner.

What lies behind DPD’s commitment to art?

With its regularly changing exhibitions DPD Art attracts a steady stream of visitors to the company’s European HQ. “I’ve been to a number of these exhibitions and I find it fascinating to be able to ask the artists about their work. Normally you rarely have the chance to do this“, says visitor Björn Hasse enthusiastically. The company’s involvement benefits not just those who visit the exhibition but also the artists themselves, who are provided with a platform and an appropriate forum for showing their works. In addition DPD Art acts as a source of motivation for the workforce, says Jean-Pierre Kresser – after all, how many people can enjoy art right there at their place of work?

Wilnsdorf, 20. Juni 2005 – In spite of the current economic situation – or perhaps because of it – the workforce at Depot 157 in Wilnsdorf now has to go on the offensive. Acquiring new customers for the DPD system and convincing our existing customers again and again of the reliability of DPD as a Europe-wide logistics partner – these are the challenges for the future.

The presentation of the plans in January 2004 made it clear that a new building would be needed. “In business terms it was no longer possible to put off the planned investment in Wilnsdorf as a location any longer“, explains manager Jörg Lüdtke, who is responsible within the region for the depots of Essen, Wuppertal and Hagen in addition to the Wilnsdorf location.

With an investment volume of ten million euros the critical planning phase began in the summer of 2004. As a first stage a number of sites were inspected for their suitability. Mr Josef Nordmann, senior councillor for the municipality of Wilnsdorf, succeeded in providing the right arguments with regard to the choice of site. Accordingly it was thanks to his persuasiveness that the reservations of the responsible DPD team about a steep access road which could ice up in winter were overcome. The depot has since passed its first winter test with flying colours and the roads proved to be no problem. To make sure that things got as far as this, the Vollack company from Castrop-Rauxel in cooperation with depot manager Michael Ilberg and his team had to push ahead with the planning at full steam. “The achievement of Mr Hans Bretz and his team was really outstanding. To complete a project like this to such a tight deadline and with such quality represents an unbelievable performance“, is how regional CEO Jörg Lüdtke pays his tribute. Bottlenecks in capacity and outdated technology are now finally things of the past.

After the investment had been approved by the French parent company GeoPost Central Europe GmbH, the construction work could begin on the 22,000 m² depot site in October 2004, with completion of the building work planned for the end of February 2005.

Accordingly at 08:00 hrs on Saturday, 26 February 2005, the first inbound parcel rolled across the depot’s brand new sorting line. “Just to be on the safe side we chose a Saturday for the operational start“, emphasises depot manager Michael Ilberg. “After all, it’s always possible for something to go wrong, especially when you have new sorting equipment.“ Since the start of operations a workforce of about 130 process up to 30,000 parcels a day, covering the entire DPD product range.

06 | 2005 -

DPD celebrates Hub 10’s tenth anniversary

Visitors hear the Mörsdorf success story

Mörsdorf, 9 June 2005 – Normally the evening shift begins at 21:00 hrs, but on Thursday, 9 June the parcel sorting work began an hour earlier. However, the DPD workforce at the hub in Mörsdorf were probably not too worried by the early start to the shift. On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Hub 10 the staff of 58 wanted to show the numerous guests and members of the DPD management team how smoothly the handling and sorting of a large volume of parcels runs at Mörsdorf: “At the moment we have 56 000 outbound parcels per shift at the hub, and from the autumn it will probably be as many as 75 000“, says Manager Klaus Boost proudly.

General praise for the hubWhat has been achieved at Mörsdorf is highly creditable – and not just from a technical point of view. From a political perspective Dr. Dietmar Möller, head of the Saale-Holzland district regional authority, praised DPD as an important local employer. The ten years’ existence of Hub 10 in Mörsdorf meant ten years’ steady development in the region, ten years’ regular employment, and ten years’ of close links with the region. Dr. Claude Béglé, who had travelled from Paris especially for the anniversary celebrations, praised the consistent commitment of the workforce: “For years now our team here at Mörsdorf has guaranteed a level of service which is outstanding. The hub operates with tremendous efficiency.“ In an entertaining speech Arnold Schroven looked back on the start of operations ten years ago and sketched the success story of the hub. At the time Hub 10 had come on stream as one of the most modern in Europe and could meet this description even today. And by the way, it is the only hub in eastern Germany.

Significant position in the DPD networkThe hub at the Hermsdorf motorway junction in Thuringia, one of Germany’s major transport intersections, provides employment opportunities for the people in the region and, because of its location and capacity, is one of the most important in the DPD network. Ten to thirteen million parcels a year flow through the sorting lines, with 2004 as the record year, when 13.6 million parcel shipments were processed. In spite of these massive volumes, modern equipment with laser screening enables an extremely low error rate of only 0.03 % – which only represents 15 parcels a day, is how Manager Klaus Boost explains the impressive performance of his team.

Award for Klaus BoostDPD’s customers and representatives were just as impressed by the occasion as Hans-Jürgen Lehmann, the mayor of Mörsdorf, the representatives of the Saale-Holzland district and the Hermsdorf administration together with a number of members of the state parliament. They all witnessed the presentation by Dr. Ulrich Hoffmann, legal representative and press spokesman of the Thuringia state transport association, of a silver pin to a surprised Klaus Boost for his outstanding achievements. To follow there was entertainment from the comedy group “Los Lachos“. Fortified by good food and Köstritzer beer all the visitors received the impression that the past ten years had been a great success both for DPD and for the region – so here’s to the next decade!

06 | 2005 -

DPD impresses at transport logistic

A German company goes global

Aschaffenburg, 7 June 2005 – At this year’s premier fair for the logistics industry DPD made a strong impression – with a stand that turned out to be the hoped-for magnet for the public. “We succeeded in attracting a large number of visitors to our stand and in showing them how well DPD is positioned“, is the conclusion of Dr. Claude Béglé. In addition to numerous existing and potential customers Rudolf Nagel, secretary of state at the federal ministry of transport, also called in at DPD in the course of his tour of the fair. At the stand he was informed by Hans Fluri, CEO DPD GeoPost Deutschland GmbH, about the company and its activities this year at the logistic industry’s leading trade fair.

Business trend characterised by expansionAt the international press conference those responsible presented impressive figures for DPD, its main shareholder GeoPost and La Poste, GeoPost’s parent company. All three companies can look back on a successful 2004. During this period 313 million parcels were shipped in the DPD network, which represents an average increase of 9.6 % on the year before. International parcel volumes even rose by 20 %.

Dr. Béglé pointed out that GeoPost is pressing ahead with the modernisation and extension of the DPD network, together with the introduction of a delivery scan and optimised performance quality. On 1 June the DPD GUARANTEE product, which offers the customer the advantage of greater reliability at an attractive price, was also introduced in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

DPD Talk & Happy Hour – highlights at the fair standWith its stand and the activities there DPD succeeded in attracting visitors and representatives of the media. There was tremendous response to the DPD Talk events, which were presented by Kathrin Knodel and Paul Needham at the company’s stand. In the course of these round table discussions experts from business and the scientific world talked with DPD representatives about topics which are preoccupying the CEP industry at the moment. The opportunities and risks involved in EU expansion eastwards for providers of CEP services were discussed by Dr. Christian Butz, Technical University Berlin, with Hans Fluri and other managers from the central and eastern European countries. Prof. Dr. Claus Berg, Institute for Logistics and Traffic management, and Prof. Dr. Peter Klaus, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, presented their views on the outsourcing of CEP services by commerce, while Claude Béglé and Andreas Nögel, Würth, dealt with the topic of management across a number of countries. On the last day Kerstin Reissmann, GeoPost International, and Thorsten Landré, ITA Logistics, dealt with the subject of DPD GUARANTEE, the newly introduced cross-border product with its day-certain delivery time guarantee.

“We are delighted with this extremely interesting exchange of ideas among leading experts from the logistics industry. Because of the tremendous response it received we are thinking of making this event a regular part of future fairs and firmly establishing it in the logistics world“, comments Dr. Béglé. Equally successful was the Happy Hour at the fair stand, at which leading representatives from DPD were on hand to deal in detail with specific questions from (potential) customers. The programme was accompanied by cocktails and live music.

Omnipresent at the fair DPD was to be seen everywhere, not just at its own stand but also and in particular as a result of one of the most comprehensive advertising campaigns at the fair, backed up by the participation of top DPD representatives at trade forums: Dr. Claude Béglé discussed the market opportunities for DPD GUARANTEE and the company’s strategic positioning with DVZ editor in chief Björn Helmke. During the dialogue he expressed great respect for the strategies of his competitors, but at the same time he explained why these were not suitable for DPD. In response to a question from Mr Helmke about whether there could soon be a DPD letter delivery service, he stated that there are currently no plans to enter into the postal market. Instead the company intends to continue to focus on parcel shipment and to improve its already high quality standards even further. Arnold Schroven, who took his seat on the DVZ’s red sofa the next day, informed an interested audience about the company’s worldwide franchising operations, one of the essential guarantees of high quality in global parcel shipment.

Experts from the logistics industry also took part in a forum organised by the federal logistics association (BVL) under the title of “Concepts for international networking“. In addition to members of the boards of management of companies like Schenker, BLG Group, SBB Cargo and Bayer MaterialScience, Dr. Claude Béglé also participated in the discussion. “Global customer relationships require logistics networks across countries“, was the title of his talk, in which he discussed the so-called “glocal“ concept. The principal requirement is to control the world-wide flow of goods in such a way that any destination can be reached. In the round table exchange of views which followed he discussed subjects such as the potential for investment in China with the other guests.

Summary of the DPD press meeting at the transport logistic fair in Munich

June 1, 2005

Results 2004

DPD, its main shareholder GeoPost and GeoPost’s parent company La Poste, all look back on a successful 2004.

The revenues of La Poste increased to EUR 18.7 billion. Operating profit rose by 69% to EUR 523 million, while net profit rose by 85% to EUR 374 million as announced on April 21st. GeoPost’s revenues increased by 5.5% to EUR 2.4 billion with an operating profit growing by 48% to EUR 122 million. Total parcel volumes of GeoPost attained 450 million units of which 313 million passed through the DPD network, which represents an average increase of 9.6% from 2003 for DPD, out of which international volumes increased by 20% versus 2003, up to 34.6 million parcels. Domestic parcels grew by 8.4% to reach a volume of 278.1 million parcels in 2004.

To Claude Béglé, CEO of DPD GmbH and CEO GeoPost International Management & Development, this strong growth in international volumes is proof that the internationalisation of the network, which has been a key focus for the company in recent years, is delivering results. Béglé: “We are present in every European country, with a dense network, strong domestic roots and local management. International co-operation is growing fast in all respects, and we are proud to be one of the companies that stimulate pan-European trade, giving an extra impulse to trade with upcoming economies in Central and Eastern Europe.”

Geographical Expansion

GeoPost pursues the modernization and extension of its DPD network (roll out of delivery scans, new line hauls and service quality). Moreover, it continues to prepare its global expansion, through talks in countries such as China, India, Brazil, South Africa and the Middle East, for example. This year (2005), the network was already expanded to Bulgaria, Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Greece and Kazakhstan and the SEUR Bilbao franchise was acquired.

DPD Product News After a successful introduction of DPD GUARANTEE in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg and Switzerland, today, Czech Republic and Slovakia launch DPD GUARANTEE. This product offers its customers guaranteed delivery days for parcels transported via its road network. With DPD GUARANTEE, customers enjoy the benefit of high reliability at an attractive price. Optimised tracking & tracing enables them to check the status of their shipment at any time. Additionally, DPD GUARANTEE offers a money-back guarantee. T ransit time from west Slovakia to Czech Republic and vice versa is one day, transit time from Czech Republic and west Slovakia to Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg is two days, and three days to Switzerland. From and to east Slovakia one day is added.

DPD GUARANTEE was launched earlier this year in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg and Switzerland. With first reliability results of over 99%, DPD is operating at the service levels it envisaged for this product. GeoPost is streamlining the offering of DPD products across markets. DPD GUARANTEE is GeoPost’s first Europe-wide, uniformly branded product in a series of homogenous products to facilitate its push towards international expansion and increasing international parcel volumes.

Today, Claude Béglé announced that a new European product is currently being developed to offer the customer even higher speed. A 48-hour pan-European service, combining road and air, will add extra speed to the guaranteed DPD products, at a very competitive rate compared to the offering of traditional express providers.

International agreement

Mid May, GeoPost International Management and Development, the majority shareholder of DPD, signed a framework agreement on social and labour rights with trade unions in France (FO COM, CGT, CFDT), Switzerland (Gewerkschaft Kommunikation) and Germany (ver.di). This international agreement is the result of talks between GeoPost International Management and Development and Union Network International (UNI) of which the five unions are members. It encompasses employee rights, freedom of coalition, labour and health protection and rules against discrimination and other agreements. It is the first agreement of its kind between the UNI unions and a company operating in the mail, parcel and express industry. Claude Béglé: “ I strongly believe in the social responsibility of multinational corporations and I am very proud of this understanding.”

DPD media

The DPD corporate film, with the title “To be there when needed”, created by WRW United and produced in co-operation with Bavaria Film Interactive, was awarded at the World Media Festival this month with the intermedia-globe Silver Award in the category PR/Transport. Jean-Pierre Kresser, communications director DPD, accepted the award. The jury awarded DPD for successfully capturing the added value and marketing strategy of DPD and translating it into an audiovisual format.

In Germany, DPD recently also launched its first TV commercial, on n-tv and N24. The commercial with key message “Happy End of Business Day”, communicates customers can rest assured at the end of the business day, as their parcels are being taken care of and delivered on time, as guaranteed. This commercial is part of a Europe-wide campaign, including print, bill boards and other types of media.

05 | 2005 -

Eagerly awaited premiere at DPD – first TV commercial in Germany on air

TV viewers will soon be able to follow a DPD delivery van as it makes its way through the canyon-like streets of a metropolis in order to reach its destination safely and fast. This is the story of DPD’s first TV commercial, which extends the company’s current marketing campaign to the medium of television. In addition to this commercial, which will be shown in Germany on the n-tv and N24 channels, DPD is accompanying the launch of DPD GUARANTEE with an advertising campaign on an international scale. Advertisements in leading trade journals and business publications combined with giant posters and advertising space at major airports are providing an impressive launch pad for the new cross-border parcel shipment service with guaranteed delivery times.

Aschaffenburg, 23 May 2005 – In line with DPD`s current print and outdoor advertising campaign a commercial has been designed which transfers the central “Happy End of Business Day“ message to the advertising channel of television. In the print media DPD has already been successful in communicating reliability as one of the main benefits which the customer receives. The intention for the future is to harmonise communication both across the various media and on an international basis. Readers, online users and television viewers will all receive the same core message: DPD is a strong and reliable partner – right across the world.

“Happy End of Business Day“ – the story of the film
The TV commercial puts a spell on the viewer with the beat of an imaginary pulse. As it comes to land in the metropolis viewers get the impression that they are following a ray of light speeding towards the city in order to dive down into its depths. The light wave cuts through the city, following the course of a street which leads into a motorway intersection – a central motif of the print campaign.Here there is a change of perspective: the light wave is transformed into a DPD Sprinter. The longer the viewer follows the Sprinter the calmer and more regular the beat of the pulse becomes, until finally everything becomes peaceful and calm, while a voice off is heard: “Parcel shipment with DPD: for your Happy End of Business Day.“

Experts show what they can do – the technical productionTolkien’s “Lord of the Rings“ trilogy and the new DPD TV commercial have something in common: the same experts who worked on the post-production of the world-wide cinema hit processed each individual sequence of the DPD commercial. Such an elaborate treatment of the story should impress not just the cinematic layman but also experts from the movie industry. From the camera right down to 2D and 3D animation, the technology that has been applied here is very much state of the art. In this way DPD demonstrates that it takes a professional approach not only to its own core business but also to the way it markets its products. The new commercial is part of a Europe-wide campaign which also promotes the new DPD GUARANTEE product.

Innovative product launch – the DPD GUARANTEE campaign
In Germany , Switzerland , the Benelux countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia the product launch featured prominently in the media from April to June. The main focus of the campaign was on DPD’s participation in this year’s transport logistic trade fair (31.5.-3.6.) in the Bavarian capital. Giant posters at Munich ’s main railway station and in the square outside the station, large-scale advertising at the airport and extensive illuminated advertising space in the centre of Munich will all make visitors to the fair conscious as soon as they arrive of DPD’s new self-confident presence and its innovative DPD GUARANTEE product. In the Netherlands , too, numerous large-scale posters and citylight posters are promoting the product innovation – among other places in Den Haag, Rotterdam and Eindhoven .
This is backed up by a print campaign with advertisements in the relevant trade press and business publications in the various countries involved, combined with advertising in selected national daily newspapers and respected publications such as ´Die Welt`, the ´Frankfurte Allgemeine Zeitung` and the ´Süddeutsche Zeitung`, together with ´Spiegel`and `Focus`. The campaign is rounded off by large-format special advertising at the airports of Berlin , Frankfurt am Main, Cologne , Hamburg , Munich and Halle/Leipzig as well as at the airports of Amsterdam , Brussels , Luxembourg , Zurich , Prague and Bratislava.The campaign was conceived, designed and implemented by the Hamburg PEPPERZAK BRAND agency (CD: Sven Kröger, AD: Hubertus Hagen, photographer: Michael Schnabel). Production: swimmingpool pictures. post production: OPTIX Digital Pictures. Director: Andreas Schäfer. Camera: Bernd Wondollek. Responsible at DPD: Verena Hilss, Director Network Marketing.

About DPDWith the shipment of over 1.4 million parcels per day in a seamless European network, DPD Deutsche Paket Dienst GmbH & Co. KG is one of Europe ’s leading providers of logistics services. In addition to the transport of standard parcels DPD, with its headquarters in Aschaffenburg , offers a wide spectrum of services, ranging from express via C.O.D. to individual customised solutions such as supply-chain logistics. Over 470 depots in 31 European countries with more than 22,000 employees and 13,500 vehicles operate in the service of DPD’s 200,000 business customers. GeoPost owns 83.32 % of the shares in DPD .

Cologne, May 2005: On behalf of DPD Deutscher Paket Dienst wrwunited conceived the new corporate film “To be there when needed.“ and produced it in cooperation with Bavaria Film Interactive. At the international WorldMediaFestival in May this film was awarded the intermedia-globe SILVER Award in the PR / Transport category for the outstanding way in which DPD’s corporate values and brand strategy are presented in audiovisual terms.

The highly distinguished jury’s reason for presenting the film with the SILVER Award in the PR/ Transport category was its outstandingly effective audio-visual communication of DPD’s corporate values and brand strategy. The fact that the DPD corporate film “To be there when needed.“ is an outstanding production is confirmed by the list of the other well-known companies and institutions from Europe, Asia and other parts of the world taking part in the competition – companies such as DaimlerChrysler AG, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Hewlett-Packard EMEA GmbH, Nokia UK Limited and the Volvo Car Corporation. The gold award in the PR/Transport category went to Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg , for its film about “How the new Golf was developed“.

It is the aim of the DPD film to present the company as a provider of parcel services on an international scale, with customer orientation and reliability constantly at the core of its operations. The technique of this image film is to focus on scenes and people connected with DPD in a range of ways across national frontiers. Special emphasis is placed on close personal contact with customers. “Because we’re right there when we are needed, and of course with the fast and reliable quality which our customers expect. Highlighting these qualities is the intention of the new corporate film“, is how Jean-Pierre Kresser explains the title of the film: “To be there when needed.“

The DPD network had a very successful year 2004. The parcel volume in this pan-European network increased to 313 million, up by an average 9.6% from 2003. The financial results of DPD main shareholder GeoPost for 2004 will be announced by parent company La Poste on April 21.

GeoPost, owner of 83,32% of DPD through GeoPost International Management and Development GmbH, continued its policy of acquisitions throughout 2004 and the first months of 2005. Intending to close the final gaps in the map on its way to full European coverage, GeoPost added countries to the network either through acquisitions, joint ventures or partnerships in countries including Spain, Russia, Bulgaria, Rumania, Slovenia, Croatia and the Baltic States. Customers in these countries are served in most cases through the DPD network, or under local brand names.

For 2005, GeoPost has even more ambitious expansion plans. Claude Béglé, who is in charge of the development of the Group, presented the outlines of GeoPost’s “Pillars of Development” plan. The expansion of operations beyond Europe will take shape in 2005 with centres of development, including Beijing, Tokyo, Dubai, Mumbai, Sao Paulo and Johannesburg, as the starting points of the extension of the network to the most dynamic markets worldwide. “In the most important countries, we will establish partnerships with strong national and family operators; in others, we will work through agents. In China, we have opened a representation office in January 2005 and expect to be present on the market in 2006. In other countries, like South Africa, we also have progressed quite far in our negotiations”, said Claude Béglé.

Closer to home, last week GeoPost acquired the Seur franchise in Bilbao, increasing its stake in Spanish partner Seur by an additional 3.5% in the franchiser company. A take over in Kazakhstan together with joint venture partner Yurtiçi Kargo is very near, marking the starting point for rapid expansion in Central Asia.

Russian Armadillo Group will be included in the DPD network as a franchisee, starting operations in the second semester. Armadillo, Russia’s leading parcel operator, was acquired in 2004 by GeoPost (50%) and Yurtiçi Kargo (50%). The inclusion of Armadillo in the DPD network paves the way for internationally oriented businesses in Russia and facilitates European trade to Russia.

Following recent changes in the organisation, DPD GmbH will play a stronger international role, supporting the European DPD franchisees. DPD GeoPost (Deutschland), under its new CEO Hans Fluri, has taken over part of the day to day operational responsibilities in the DPD network.

To facilitate its push towards international expansion and increasing international parcel volumes, GeoPost is streamlining the offering of DPD products across markets. This is marked by the launch of DPD GUARANTEE last month, the parcel service that offers customers the reliability of a guaranteed delivery time at competitive rates. DPD GUARANTEE is GeoPost’s first Europe-wide, uniformly branded product in a series of homogenous products.

02 | 2005 -

Hans Fluri is appointed CEO of DPD GeoPost (Deutschland)

Aschaffenburg, 21st of February 2005 – Hans Fluri (53) is appointed CEO of DPD GeoPost (Germany) GmbH as of March 1, 2005. Fluri, who joined GeoPost eight months ago is already a member of the International Division Board of GeoPost International Management & Development Holding GmbH.

Dr. Claude Béglé, CEO of GeoPost International Management & Development Holding GmbH emphasises, "I have complete confidence in Hans Fluri, whose extraordinary abilities will have very positive impact in our decentralised DPD organisation. Hans Fluri, who will work closely with our regional managing directors, will further build and accelerate the DPD GeoPost success story".

Hans Fluri is a seasoned and experienced executive with a successful career with two of the best-known and most demanding companies in the consumer goods sector. For four years he gained extensive experience in Sales and Distribution as well as in Mergers and Acquisitions with Kraft Foods in the USA and Latin America. Then, during 24 years, he significantly contributed to the success of Philip Morris International one of the leading consumer goods companies in the world. With energy and passion he succeeded to advance to the very senior position as President, Philip Morris European Union Region.

Hans Fluri has twenty years experience in Finance/Planning, IS and Corporate Affairs, and an additional ten years in General Management, with a strong focus on Marketing and Sales activities. He has a proven track record of delivering substantial business growth both in emerging markets such as the former Soviet Union as well as mature markets like the European Union. Fluri is a business builder with excellent managerial skills who can leverage his experience and unique know-how to develop and implement a winning strategy.

In the last past eight months Hans Fluri has managed a number of projects at GeoPost International Management & Development GmbH, including the development of Intercontinental Business.

DPD GUARANTEE offers guaranteed delivery times for parcels throughout Europe

Aschaffenburg, 20 January 2005 - DPD, the international parcel and express service, will offer its customers guaranteed delivery times for parcels transported via its road network. With DPD GUARANTEE customers enjoy the benefit of high reliability at an attractive price. Optimised tracking & tracing enables customers to check the status of their shipment at any time. Additionally, DPD GUARANTEE offers a money-back guarantee.

“Research has shown us that many businesses could benefit from a service that offers them the speed and reliability of a guaranteed delivery time for parcels they do not want to ship through more expensive networks,” says Claude Béglé, CEO of DPD. “After offering this service successfully on a number of domestic markets and optimising our road network, we are extremely pleased to be able to offer DPD GUARANTEE on an European basis in 2005.”

DPD GUARANTEE is currently being tested in the Benelux, Germany and Switzerland. DPD will make the product available during the coming two months in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg. Almost all countries in Europe will follow in phases, including all Western European countries, the Baltics, Slovenia, Poland, Iceland, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

About DPDResponsible for transporting over 1.3 million parcels a day in a seamless international network, DPD is one of the leading logistic services suppliers in Europe. Based in Aschaffenburg, Germany , the company offers an array of services, ranging from Cash on Delivery to individual, tailor made products for procurement logistics. DPD services around 200,000 customers, with over 430 depots in 32 European countries with a fleet of 13,500 vehicles. GeoPost holds an 83.32% stake in DPD.

About GeoPostGeoPost is a leading player in the global Parcels & Express market, operating in more than 30 countries under brand names such as DPD, Chronopost and Parceline. GeoPost is Europe’s third largest provider of express and deferred parcels services, recording a global turnover of EUR 2.3 billion in 2003. GeoPost is wholly owned by France's national postal service Groupe La Poste.